Major Requirements
To successfully earn a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science, students must satisfy the general education requirements and take an additional 15 required courses for the major. Beginning with the Class of 2027, courses counting toward the Breadth requirement should be selected from the list of approved Breadth courses (see individual Core Discipline pages for more details). Students in the Classes of 2026 and 2027 will have the option to petition for courses taken prior to the implementation of the new policy to count toward Breadth.
Major courses fall into five categories.
Category |
Number of courses required |
| Introductory Courses: Students explore the core questions, intellectual history, and analytical methods that define and unify cognitive scientific research. | 2 (200 units total) |
| Formal Foundation Courses: Students develop the analytical tools used in different strands of contemporary cognitive scientific research. | 2 (200 units total) |
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Disciplinary Breadth Courses: These courses provide breadth in the core disciplines of cognitive science (Computer Science, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Philosophy, and Psychology).
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5 (1 for each of the core disciplines; 500 units total) |
| Disciplinary Depth Courses: Depth courses provide additional depth in two core disciplines through exposure to more specific topics. | 4 (2 for 2 of the core disciplines; 400 units total) |
| Extra-Disciplinary Courses: Students engage with inquiry into the nature of the mind in areas beyond the core disciplines. | 2 (200 units total) |
Students will generally take the Introductory Courses and Formal Foundations courses during their first two years and Disciplinary and Extra-Disciplinary courses during their third and fourth years. The order in which Disciplinary and Extra-Disciplinary courses are taken will largely depend on students’ chosen focus and course availability.
These courses and their roles in the major are described in more detail in the Courses section of this website.
Example Pathways Through the Major
Below are a few examples of potential paths through the major, each organized around a different area of focus and research in cognitive science.
Focus area: Consciousness
| Formal Foundations courses |
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| Disciplinary courses (breadth) |
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| Disciplinary courses (depth) |
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| Extra-Disciplinary courses |
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Focus area: Language and Cognition
| Formal Foundations courses |
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| Disciplinary courses (breadth) |
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| Disciplinary courses (depth) |
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| Extra-Disciplinary courses |
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Focus area: Cognition, AI and the Internet
| Formal Foundations courses |
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| Disciplinary courses (breadth) |
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| Disciplinary courses (depth) |
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| Extra-Disciplinary courses |
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